Meat-skinning machine.



C. W. CUNNINGHAM.

MEAT SKINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1914.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

[N VEN TOR pren srarns PATENT onnion.

CLINTN W. CUNNINGHAM, F BALTIMGRE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNR T0 KINGAN &

CGMPANY, LIMTED, 0F INDIANAPLXS,

BRITAIN.

INDIANA, A CGRPORATION 0F GREAT MEAT-SKINNING MACHINE.

Lineas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application filed May 26, 1914. Serial No. 841,115.

To all whom 'it may concern lie it known that l, CLINTON W. Cnn NINGHAM, of Baltimore, State. of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Meat-Skinning Machines; and l do hereby declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rihis invention relates to improvements in meat skinnins; machines and more particularly to machines for removing the skin irom bacon,-the object oi' the invention being to provide simple and eliicient means which shall be easily operable to accurately, neatly and quickly remove the skin from bacon without appreciable waste, and to provide simple means for effecting necessary or desirable adjustments.

W ith this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings; Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a machine embodying` my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view.

l represents a table supportedby suitable framework 2 and 'having' upon its upper face, two parallel strips 3, 3 spaced apart to torni a groove or guideway t between them, said strips being' provided on their upper faces with wear plates 5 for a purpose hereinafter explained. At one end of the guide strips 3, a frame 6 is rigidly secured and includes in its structure, standards 7 at respective ends. The upper ends of the standards may be made with lateral projections 8 which afford extended bearings for a fixed blade 9 extending` from one standard to the other and rigidly'secured in place by means of screws 10. Near the base of the iixed trame 6, a hinged frame ll is pivotally supported as at l2, and projects horizontally through the tixedframe G between the standards thereof. A roller frame 13 is pivotally supported by the hinged trame 1l and is formed with bearings 14 for the journals of a roller 15 opera tively disposed under the. cutting edge of the blade 9,-adjustment of said roller in an approximately horizontal direction relatively to the blade being effected by means of thumb screws 16 passing` through portions oi" the hinged roller frame and engaging` the standards of the fixed trame G. The hinged roller trame is also provided with handles 17 to permit the roller to be swung back and thus facilitate the placing` ot a piece of bacon to be skinned. The horizontal hinged frame 1l has swiveled thereto near its free end, the upper end of a thumb screw 18, the latter being; threaded through a suitable hole in the base portion of the fixed frame 6 and having its head disposed in an opening 19 in the table l. By mea-ns oi the thumb screw 18, the horizontal frame 11 may be moved on its pivotal support and in this manner, the roller l may be ad; justed vertically with respect to the blade to regulate the depth of cut according to the thickness of the skin on the bacon to be skinned.

lt is customaryto sever a small portion of the skin at one end of the piece of bacon before subjecting the latter to the machine and then place the piece of bacon in the position substantially as shown in` Fig. i, with the body of the meat disposed over the blade and the severed end of the skin projectinn under said blade. The projecting end of the skin will then be caused to be grasped between the jaws 20 of a clamp 21. This clamp comprises two levers 22-23 pivotally connected together, and a spring 524 tends to close the jaws 20. These jaws are suiiiciently elongated to Yrgrasp the skin of a piece of bacon substantially from one edge tothe other thereoi:l and when the clamp .is moved to eiect the Skinning operation or to return to position near the blade, said jaws may ride upon the wear plates 5 on the strip 3, while the free end of the lever 22 may move in the groove or guideway formed between said strips.

A drum 25 is mounted in suitable bear ings on the framework below the plane of `the table l and is provided with a suitable manually operable crank 26. A rope 27, or equivalent liexible device is wound upon the drum 25 and after passing through a hole 28 in the table, is secured to the free end of the lever 22 of the clamp. Another rope 29 or equivalent flexible device, is wound in the reverse direction upon the drum 25 and extends therefrom to the far end of the table where it passes over a pulley 30 mounted in a. suitable opening in the table. From the pulley 30, the rope Z9 extends forwardly and after passing over a pulley 3l mounted at the free end of lever 23 of the clamp 2l, is secured to the free end of the clamp lever Q2.

It will be observed that when the bacon is positioned and the skin thereof is grasped bythe jaws of the clamp as shown in Fig. l, rotation of the drum 25 in one direction will cause the jaws ofthe clamp to tighten their grip upon the bacon skin and the clamp will he moved bodily, thus pulling the bacon past the blade and eiifecting the clean severance of the skin. By rotating the drum in the'reverse direction, the clamp will be returned to position to be engaged l with the skin of another piece of bacon.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence l do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Haring fully described my invention what I claim as newiand desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. ln a machine of the character de* scribed, the combination with a table, oi? a iixed frame thereon, 'a blade on said fixed frame, a swinging roller frame, a roller mounted in said roller frame, means for adjusting roller trame, and a clamp for pulling material past the blade;

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a table, a blade secured to said fixed frame, a swinging roller frame, a roller mounted in said `roller frame, means for adjusting the roller frame, a clamp to engage material to be pulled past the blade, and operating means for moving said clamp over the table.

3. ln a machine of the character described, the combination with a table, of a ixed frame thereon, a blade secured upon said fixed frame, a horizontal hinged frame, roller frame hinged to the horizontal hinged frame, a roller mounted in the roller frame below the blade, and means Jfor adjusting the horizontal hinged frame to adjust the roller relatively to the blade.

4e. ln a machine of the character described, the combination with a table, of a fixed frame thereon, a blade on said fixed frame, a horizontal hinged frame projecting` through the fixed frame, a roller frame r hinged to the horizontal hinged frame, a roller mounted in said roller frame below the blade, and a thumb screw passing through the base of the y'ixed frame and swiveled to the horizontal hinged frame.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a table, oi a fixed frame thereon, a blade on said iixed -frame, a. swinging roller frame, a roller mounted in said roller frame, means for adjusting said roller frame horizontally and means for adjusting said roller frame Vertically.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLNTON XV. CUNNINGHiih/i.

Witnesses Darm L. EMERICK, J. LOGAN DUNCAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nire cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of atents,

' Washington, D. C. 

